What's a Naegiri?
by Tusk Act IV
Summary: In which Kirigiri Kyoko overhears a certain word and decides to investigates it. For Naegiri week day 7 prompt: Sound. Others will be added after.


**Disclaimer: I own neither the series nor the characters. Adapted from 霧切響子さんがナエギリという言葉を耳にした様です**

 **This is for the final prompt which is Sound.**

* * *

"So it's that time of the year, huh?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's Naegiri week."

"Oh! That thing! I'm so excited for it. I love Naegiri."

"Ditto. That's why I'm talking to you about it. Naegiri's just so cute!"

"Well, I don't know about that but I for one appreciate the deep themes and how they perfectly compliment yet also foil the other."

"If that's your excuse. No one really cares about that stuff. Just how great they look together."

"Hey! I-it's true. That's the real reason I like reading Naegiri! The perfrct chemistry!"

"And not because of the fluff?"

"Well, I didn't say it wasn't adorable when it could get. Anyways, you said something about Naegiri week?"

"Yeah, it's the time everyone comes out of the woodwork to write something for it. Yoshi-san, Rami-san, Dura-san. Even Hope-san popped in."

"And you, Tusk-san? What have you been up to?"

"W-well, you know, some stuff here and there. It'll come out soon. Probably."

"But isn't the week almost done alre-"

"It's there! Just wait! I've been way too busy with course work. okay? Give me a break!"

"Woah, calm down. I get it. Us, reserve course students don't get any rest."

"Yeah...anyways, let's just enjoy the stuff that gets released anyways."

As one, the two reserve course students left their classroom, being the only ones left.

However, if they had waited for a few moments longer, they would have seen the locker for cleaning supplies open up for a pale girl with lavender hair to walk out.

A gloved hand cusped her chin as her eyes narrowed in rare confusion.

"Naegiri...?"

* * *

In the midst of investigating the Reserve Course, Kirigiri Kyoko had taken to try to eavesdrop on conversations between the students. For the most part, their conversations were mundane and unrelated however the last one was about something that caught her ear.

Naegiri.

Initially, she had thought they were talking about her classmate and, admittedly, closest friend and, sometimes, partner, Naegi Makoto. His name wasn't a common one and that it was one syllable away couldn't have been a coincidence.

However, the context of the conversation implied that Naegiri didn't refer to a single person which may rule that out. Although, what first got her attention was how she heard "Naegi" and "cute" being uttered together, the way they continued gushing in the term seemed to imply something bigger in concept.

Perhaps, the boy had a fan club? She knew Maizono Sayaka's fans called themselves Sayakers so perhaps it was the same for Naegi? Kyoko wouldn't even have been surprised. The boy was just so friendly, likable, and went out of his way to get close to even the coldest people.

Like her.

If she was being truly honest, a small part of her just wanted the boy to herself. Like she was the only one he'd act kind to. This part was overshadowed by another that was annoyed she wasn't invited.

She even liked the word. Somehow, adding a single syllable to his name made it more attractive. While she wasn't that antiquated with the Japanese language as she had lived abroad, she felt an odd satisfaction with the word.

None of that helped her figure out what it meant though so Kyoko decided to ask around instead.

And although it was her only hint, the detective still hoped the luckster hadn't somehow wind up in another crazy situation. Even if Kyoko did find some satisfaction when she was the one to save him.

* * *

"Naegiri? Sorry, I have no idea, Kyoko-chan. Maybe, it's a special kind of onigiri?"

"Of course, I do! It's clearly the greetings done by aliens before-W-wait a moment Kirigiri-san! Why are you walking away!?"

"What? Is that some sort of cheap tuna fish? Don't waste my time, Kirigiri."

"Y-you! Trying to rub it in, are you? I'll s-say that ToFu is still the s-superior!"

Kyoko sighed. So far, asking any of her classmates gave her no headway in her investigation. It did seem Fukawa knew something but she then started ranting about food and boats that Kyoko took the rational choice of walking away from the writer.

Just as she was about to ponder who would she ask next, the obvious choice walked out of a nearby classroom. Maizono Sayaka hummed a tune, no doubt one of the idol's own songs.

The idol was all smiles as Kyoko approached her and the detective had to wonder how exactly did one have a smile as their neutral face compared to her blank one.

When she finally noticed her, Maizono's smile widened. "Ah, Kirigiri-san!"

"Good afternoon, Maizono-san," Kyoko just nodded back. Due to both of them having rather busy schedules, their interactions were minimal. She didn't expect the idol's aura to be so bright. "I'd just like to ask you something in regards to an investigation."

"Fufu."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow at the giggle. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm sorry." Maizono waved her hands apologetically. "It's just...I've always heard about how serious you get during your investigations from Naegi-kun that it's odd to see it in person."

Kyoko blinked. Naegi-kun talked about her? The thought gave her mixed feelings. Since she wasn't sure how to deal with it, she decided to ignore it for now. Perhaps, she should try small talk for now. "I see. Well, I've never heard Naegi-kun speak about you before."

For some reason, Maizono's smile strained. "I'm sure there are just some things that Naegi-kun wants to keep between the two of us."

A lilic eye twitched. Was this idol insinulating something? Kyoko decided to finish this up before she got even more annoyed. "Anyways, Maizono-san, I wanted to ask you about a certain word I've heard."

"And what word is that?"

"It's Naegiri and-" Kyoko's mouth stopped as she suddenly felt the temperature around her drop. From the idol, a dark aura radiated and covered the hallway. Kyoko hadn't felt such malice even from murderers. "Maizono-san? Perhaps you know of the word?"

"No, I have no recollection of the word. It's the first time I've heard of it." The idol shook her head, her body slightly trembling. The tone of her voice also souded like she was half-laughing. "So I wonder...why does it feel so awful hearing it?"

"Maizono-san?" Kyoko took a step back, her detective instincts telling her something was definitely off. It was Shinigami-sama was wearing the loudest clankiest boots possible all while stomping around.

"It's just funny. I've never heard of such a word yet it feels like a slight to my family. Huhuhuhuhu..." Maizono laughed, her giggles sounding like shrieks to Kyoko's ears. The atmosphere was already getting too heavy for even someone like her.

"Well, then, I'll be off. Thank you for your statement, Maizono-san." Kyoko forced herself to step back and not outright run away from the idol. While Maizono stayed in place, the heavy pressure followed the detective even after she went up to the next floor of the school.

When she finally felt it left, Kyoko released a breath she hadn't realized she had held. Really, this was why she disliked idols. She should warn Naegi-kun to not frequent the idol as much.

* * *

In the end, it seemed like some things never changed and the only one in her class she could really rely on was the its luckster. Perhaps she should've went to him in the beginning seeing as it was related to his own name but Naegi had told her he'd be busy today helping out Yamada as his assistant for some sort of Festival that was coming up.

Yes, this was all because he was busy and not due to Kyoko sulking that he was someone else's assistant.

When she got to the library, however, she only found the large rotund boy by himself. There were what looked to be differnt tools he used to draw manga such as pens and various rulers. In front of him was a set of papers with filled with drawings, no doubt his manuscript for the next doujin he was doing.

Even from away, Kyoko's sharp eyes could spot images of girls in frilly outfits. She had once heard him call his art "moe" but the detective still had no idea what he meant by that. Maybe, it was because she grew up abroad. Well, not that it mattered. Perhaps, he'd know the meaning if his unique vocabulary was anythign to go by.

"Yamada-san."

At the sound of her voice, the doujin artist looked up from his drawings. "Oh Kirigiri Kyoko-dono, do you require my aid of any sort? I'm sorry but right now I'm rather busy wih Winter Comiket coming up soon. If it is Naegi Makoto-dono you are after, then he has left to procure both of us food."

"It's nothing that hard." Kyoko shook her head. "I just wanted to ask if you knew anything about Naegiri."

Immediately, Kyoko saw it. At the mention of the word, the boy's eyes widened in shock. It didn't help that he immediately turned away from her right after. It was beyond suspiscious and outright obvious that he knew the answer

Now it was just getting him to talk.

"It's useless to hide. Did you forget my title?" Kyoko shifted to her work mode, her tone growing cold and detached while any warmth, if any, left her face.

Yamada, in his defense, remained stubborn as he turned away while closing both his eyes and motuh tightly shut. It seeed he had no intention of talking about Naegiri at all.

However, Kyoko couldn't have been the Ultimate Detective if she couldn't get her suspects to speak.

"Yamada-san. I wonder what would Ludenburg-san say if she knew you were using a model of her in your work."

At her words, the doujin artist flinched in shock, his mouth open in an "o". Sweat immidately started to flow from his forehead even though the Library was airconditioned. "H-how did you-"

"I'm a detective, of course." More like, she guessed and it was right on the money. She nodded to the papers between them. "I will exchange my silence for your cooperation. I assure you Ludenburg-san wouldn't be as civil."

"Then...I'll explain the meaning of Naegiri." Yamada bowed his head as he succumbed to her "reasoning". He looked rather dejected, possibly scared, but all Kyoko could feel was a sense of triumph. "But before that, you have to promise me something."

"What is it?"

Yamada rasied his head, a conbination of unease and seriousness in his eyes. "Whatever I'll say, Kirgiri Kyoko-dono, I'd like you to promise me that you won't be angry."

"I understood." Kyoko nodded, neither accepting nor denying his request. She's heard the confessions of murderers and worse criminal scum out there and didn't show a trace of emotion on her face. She doubted whatever Yamada said would incite her that much compared to someone saying they took a life.

Yamada returned her nod with his own and took a deep breath. He then sat up straight on his chair and raised a plump finger, much like a lecturer. "First of all, did Kirgiri Kyoko-dono think of anyone when you heard the term Naegiri?"

"Well, obviously, Naegi-kun came to mind." Her answer was returned with another nod by Yamada. While that much was obvious, Kyoko was happy at least to get confirmation that it really was related to him.

"That's right. The Nae in Naegiri is referring to Naegi Makoto-dono."

"Just the "Nae"?"

"Well, it is an odd coincidence that the full name is spelled out but only the first syllable is used by others as well." Yamada rubbed his chin with his large fingers, his glasses gleaming. "Perhaps it's really one that's meant to be."

While Yamada continued murmurring, Kyoko realized her folly. She had thought the term was just the word Naegi followed by a "ri" but it seems Yamada said it was actually Nae and Giri.

"Then you're telling me that the word Giri refers to someone or something else?"

"Another person actually." Yamada hesitated for a second before continuing. "The Giri in Naegiri refers to a specific person who also happens to be around Naegi Makoto-dono."

In her head, Kyoko already brought up the surprisingly long list of people she knew the luckster regularly interacted one. She soon found an immediate match.

"Could it be...?"

"Yes." Yamada confirmed what she was thinking. "The Giri in Naegiri refers to the giri in Kirigiri Kyoko-dono's last name."

Kyoko stayed silent, a rare emotion of surprise going through her. So in short, Naegiri was a word that combined the names Naegi and Kirigiri together. The revelation was a rather surprising one but one she found she didn't really mind. Rather, it made her feel oddly happy at the thought.

However, her feelings aside, she still had no idea why anyone would do such a thing. Well, Naegi did sometimes help her out in smaller cases. Perhaps, this was faster way to refer to the two of them at once? Much like how Holmes and Watson were impossible to think of without the other, maybe they were the same?

Kyoko found she didn't hate that thought.

"Here's another hint. This is how Naegiri is written." Yamada spoke up as he brought placed a blank piece of paper on the table between them. He then wrote the Nae from Naegi and the giri from Kirigiri yet also placed an X mark between the two spelling out "Nae x Giri".

Kyoko examined the word he spelled out but still couldn't deduce what the large boy wanted to tell her. "Does the X mark mean anything?"

"...So you still don't understand, Kirigiri Kyoko-dono?" sighed Yamada. In most cases, being talked down to like that would have annoyed the detective but she didn't hear condensation in his tone rather she heard tire and a hint of fear, as if he had hoped she'd figure it out by now so he wouldn't have to explain.

It was a small dent to her pride as a detective but Kyoko was too invested to care, especially when it involved herself. "Please explain to me clearly so I can understand properly, Yamada-san."

"Fine, but please promise me one thing before I continue." Yamada held up a single finger, visibly shaking. His reluctance was palpable.

"What is it?"

"I'd like you to promise that you'd absolutely won't get mad." proposed the doujin writer and Kyoko could see small tears stream down his round glasses.

"I already promised you that earlier, didn't I?"

"You absolutely can't!"

"Then I won't. I'll treat this as confidential as I would any testimony."

Yamada took a moment to examine her face for any trace of a lie. Seeing nothing that worried him, his expression then grew serious. His beady eyes hardening and his mouth taut.

"I understand, I'll believe the words of Kirigiri Kyoko-dono then. I'll tell you the whole truth." The artist then leaned down his chair to reach into the backpack he always wore. "Seeing is believing, as they say. It may be better to just show you the real thing."

"The real thing?" Kyoko didn't understand what he meant. If Naegiri referred to her and Naegi then wasn't she the real thing? Or at least half of it.

"Oh! So I do have it." Ignoring Kyoko's question, Yamada just pulled a book out of his bag. From the thickness, it looked closer to a magazine than anything. Kyoko doubted it had more than 30 pages. "This is a so-called Naegiri work."

"Naegiri work?"

Kyoko took the book from Yamada's outstretched hands and examined the cover which looked to be drawn. From what Kyoko knew, it was drawn much closer to what was called anime in Japan than something she found abroad. On the front weew what looked to be a boy and a girl staring at each other while holding hands. The girl's hair was colored lavender and had gloves on while the boy was a rather plain brunette with his only distinguishing character being the odd piece of hair sticking out of his head.

Kyoko's mind halted. That hair antenna? Silve hair? Gloves? Suddenly, an unpleasant thought, premonition, hit her and chilled her to the core.

"Yamada-san, these two people on the cover...could they be..."

She looked back up to Yamada who said nothing as Kyoko finally reached the answer. Instead, he just closed his eyes and nodded.

For a moment, the library was wrapped in silence with Kyoko only continuing her unbelieving stare directed at the doujin artist who still kept his mouth and eyes shut, the increase of sweat over his face the only indicator that he hadn't fallen asleep.

And then-

"What is this?!"

A rare sound echoed throughout the library as Kirigiri Kyoko raised her voice in demand, slamming one open palm into the table in front of her. To hs credit, Yamada neither fainted nor flinched although it may have been because he had blacked out for a second there.

Again, Kyoko pounded her palm on the table, the other hand still holding the source of her emotion. "Just what is this book!? It's as if Naegi-kun and I were..."

She couldn't finish the thought as she took another glance at the cover of the book. The two people illustrated were practically on top of each other.

"Well, it's what you call a couple's book." Yamada spoke up, his tone cautious. "Basically, the setting is where the two are lovers."

"Lo..." Kyoko's mouth paused as her mind took in the idea. Seeing an opportunity, Yamada continued.

"Naegiri is a word pointing to the coupling of Naegi Makoto-dono and Kirigiri Kyoko-dono so a doujin whether a novel or a manga will be called a Naegiri book."

"Then who made this book? Also for what purpose would they make such thing?" In a rare instance in ehr life, Kirigiri Kyoko was confused and somehow Yamada Hifumi had done so.

Yamada cusped his chin with fat fingers before lowering his hand to place one of the pages he had been drawing earlier in front of the detective. "First off, I can assure you that the author isn't myself. As you can see here, our artstyles are vastly different."

Kyoko did notice that Yamada's drawing were different from the cover. His art used thicker and sharper strokes compared to the softer drawing used in the cover of the book in her hand.

"As the Ultimate Doujin Creator, I do recieve samples of random books from various artists which is why I have it. So I can't say who the author is but I can also explain why the book was made."

"Then." Kyoko perked up, wanting to understand why anyone would use her and Naegi in such a setting.

Yamada then used one hand to adjust his glasses while the other pointed at Kyoko. "In short...it's for Moe."

"...what?"

"A normal boy and a girl detective! Herbivorous hero and Kuudere heroine! A shorter guy and a taller girl! Any of these make up what is known as Moe! This is the moe culture of the people of the world! Moe is both specific yet everything at once! It is the heart of what drives doujins!"

"Ha...it's getting even stupider..."

As Yamada continued going on his diatribe, Kyoko couldn't help but shift her attention elsewhere. Most prominent being the NAegiri book still in her hand. While she didn't like having a book made without her permission about her and, in particularly, her in being in a relationship with others, but in the end, the book was just fiction and made-up.

'Indeed, this is just a fictional story. Naegi-kun and I are just friends...just friends...just...' Continuing to ignore Yamada, Kyoko raised the doujin to examine the cover once more. Although it was clearly a portrayed delision, the two of them looked like a really happy couple. One who loved each other whole heartedly and held hands and stared at each other's eyes and-

Kyoko swallowed. Just a little. Maybe, she was just a little interested. In the end, while she was able to answer what Naegiri was, she still hadn't checked on the contents of the doujin itself. There wouldn't be a problem if she too a glimpse. After all, a detective shouldn't leave a single stone unturned.

The moment she decided, the detective then made three mistakes. The first was that, as she wasn't used to reading books so thin, she opened the book at the center instead of the beginning. The second was that she had missed Yamada's facce morphing from excited to one of sheer horror as he saw her hands turn the page. Finally, the detective had been too occuppied with the image at the front to notice a small warning on the upper right corner of the doujin, a certain restriction that would have allowed her to prepare herself for what it contained.

Kyoko opened the doujin and saw.

["P-please don't look at me like that, Naegi-kun...It's embarassing."]

["It's beautiful. You're really beatiful, Kirigiri-san so I can't help it."]

 _'Eh?'_

["Oh...no...Naegi-kun...your fingers...they're so naughty..."]

["You say that but Kirigiri-san's was already like this before I began."]

["Ahh! Ohh...Ch-cheeky Naegi-kun."]

 _'Could this be...'_

["Come on, Naegi, no, Makoto-kun! I want to be one with you!"]

["Kirigiri-san, I also-"]

["Shh. You have to call me Kyoko from now on, right?"]

["Ky-Kyoko-san!"]

[Makoto-kun!]

 _'...! ! #$%%$# '_

Immediatlely, Kyoko closed the book and checked the front cover once more. A warnning label she hadn't seen before on other books printed "FOR ADULTS ONLY".

"A-are you okay, Kirigiri Kyoko-dono? You look like you're about to explode."

"Of course not!" Kyoko coughed even if her face felt like it would spew fire at any time. And that was because-

"First of all, Yamada-san, why...why were Naegi-kun and I not wearing any clothes in this book?"

"That's...well...um..." If Kyoko's face really was as hot as a fireplace than Yamada's own was sweating as if he was being held next to one.

"Also, the both us were embracing each other and were intertwined and..."

Actually, Kyoko knew the answer to that.

Even if she had no experience, someone of her age would've knowledge of such a thing. Even in certain cases, she was reluctant to even look through these kinds of book for evidence. However, once it was acknowledge...if he admitted it...

"That is..." Yamada stuttered looking away. "Because that's the sort of doujin it is..."

For once, Kyoko didn't want to hear the truth. She didn't want to acknowledge that it was real but Yamada continued.

"It's what you call an R-18 doujin so...yeah..."

It was then that Kirigiri Kyoko, the successor of the Kirigiri tradition and the Ultimate Detective, fell to her knees on the floor.

"Kirigiri Kyoko-dono?! Are you okay?"

None of Yamada's words reached Kyoko as she knew she wasn't going to be "okay". The she had been drawn and exposed in such a matter was a shame she had to live with the rest of her life. Even if it was fiction and someone else's imagination, if such a book were to be seen by other people, her classmates, _him_...

The thought sent shivers througout her body. She had brushed with death numerous times yet only the thought of the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy finding seeing such a thing made her want to curl up and die. Even though it was a fantasy, if people could see the her and Naegi-kun do someting like that, Kyoko knew wouldn't be able to stand it.

It was torture.

And, what if the person, was Naegi-kun himself?

 _"Uwaa! What's this!? A book between Kirigiri-san and me!? W-who would do such an awful thing!?"_

Impossible.

"...It-it's all right. This book was just a sample only sent to myself. Of course, no one else but the author has seen it. Actually, I haven't browsed through it as I've been much too busy with my own work!"

Yamda continued talking but the remains of Kyoko's psyche latched onto one detail in particular.

That only Yamada and her knew the existance of book in her hands.

Rising to her feet, Kyoko immediately grabbed hold of Yamada's collar. On her face, a cold smile befitting of a devil grew under gleaming eyes.

"I have decided. I'll make sure to close your mouth."

"...What?"

"Because no one else knows of this, I will make sure to crush all sources of information as soon as possible."

Yamada's eyes widened as he finally caught on to her treat. "W-wait a moment, Kirigiri Kyoko-dono!"

"Yamada...I will have you die to protect my honor and privacy." Kyoko always wanted to say that line even once. "Please be relieved that I will make it quick."

"Mercy! Mercy!"

"Okay. I know." Kyoko flexed her free hand into a claw, the fingers cracking menacingly. "I'll just have to inflict enough fear and pain to the degree thatl you lose your memory. I've learned a thing or two from the culprits I've arrested."

"Please don't!"

"Any last requests?"

"Then..my arms! Anything but my arms which I'll need for Comiket!"

"I can respect that. Aything else?"

"Um...have mercy?"

"Fufu...Impossible."

* * *

"Man, sorry that took a while Yamada-kun...Yamada-kun?!"

When he got arrived back to the library, Makoto Naegi found Yamada Hifumi as if the doujin artist had walked through a hurricane. His clothes were only rags and there were clear bruises all over his body.

"Naegi...Makoto-dono?" Words rasped out of the boy's mouth. He was clearly strained just speaking.

"Yamada-kun...what happened?"

"That...that ice woman..." were the only words the artist could say before his head fell back down.

"Ice woman? Yamada-kun? Yamada-kun! Hang in there!"

Afterwards, with help from Sakura, Makoto was able to help deliver Yamada to the infirmaty who was then diagnosed with one month of rehabilitation. However, three days later, he somehow fully recovered although he had seemingly lost all memory on his attacker. Such concerns were of no matter to the rotund artist as he had to get back to work on his doujins.

Meanwhile, in certain dorm room...

"To think people can write up such a thing...Also isn't my chest a bit too small!? I'm sure it'd be a little bigger. Also, Naegi-kun...is pretty manly here...I wonder if he's the same in real life..."

...a dangerous thing has awakened.

* * *

 **AN: Now I know what you're all typing up. "How can this be Naegiri when they never even met up?!" Well, that's just how I roll. I'm happy I at least finished doing this in a few hours so I can at least post something for Naegiri week even if it's over-ish. I changed some parts but it's mostly the same.**

 **Anyways, congrats on everyone who participated in Naegiri week. I quite enjoyed everyone's prompts and wanted to join in myself. I've actually written some but couldn't finish them. Early December is just a really bad time for me as I get really busy that I can barely sleep.**

 **I'll try to upload Quaeritur's final chapter tomorrow. I always planned to release it on Xmas which was cause I knew I'd have no time before that. After, I'll try to finish the other prompts as future chapters in this fic.**


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